081 Haildo, Pursuing the Witch #3
After hearing the shocking story that the identities of the witches might actually be nymphs—
To be more precise, the next morning.
I was completely prepared to chase the witches.
“Kkungkkungi. Smell this well. Can you track it?”
I brought the owl feather I had acquired close to Kkungkkungi’s nose.
The Squirrel Beast Kkungkkungi has an exceptional sense of smell.
It was certain that he would catch the scent of the owl feather and pursue its owner.
—Kkungkkung…!
Indeed, Kkungkkungi started hopping from side to side and bouncing around.
It meant he could pursue the smell.
“Good. Ahn Ahn! You come along too! Bang Bang! You follow too!”
I placed Ahn Ahn and Bang Bang on my shoulders, respectively.
I had truly finished all preparations for tracking the witch.
“Senior. I’ll go with you!”
Yu Ara came into the yard with a bag full of medical tools like a doctor on house call.
I felt very reassured, but I had to shake my head.
“Ari. You’ve been retired from active duty for a long time. I think it’s better for you to stay here and treat us when we return.”
It was important to have the right person in the right place.
Since the existence of a “witch” was so uncertain, I couldn’t take along a friend like Ari who had retired.
For the same reason, Seo Ye-rim was no different.
“Seo Ye-rim. You stay too. If a witch transforms into you and causes confusion, it could create variables.”
“What?”
Seo Ye-rim frowned.
Soon, she let out a sigh.
“Fine.”
Why was Seo Ye-rim agreeing so easily?
It must mean the situation was serious and grave.
“Muhuhuh, but instead, Illinois, the Nymph of Honey Fist, will join you, so don’t worry…! It’s also the role of the Nymph sisters to discipline the naughty nymphs…!”
“This Coris will also go…! This Coris wishes that the Nymph sisters would regain their names and become good, so we can play with mini cars together…!”
Instead of Yu Ara and Seo Ye-rim, Illinois and Coris decided to join my pursuit.
Someone might ask if I was out of my mind to bring nymphs along to face formidable witches—but if the witches were truly nymphs, friends like Illinois and Coris would definitely be more helpful and play a significant role.
“This Oinoy will also go…!”
Oinoy, who had packed a lot of luggage into a bag, also chose to join.
It felt strangely reassuring—I didn’t know how to describe it.
“Is this really okay?”
Seo Ye-rim, with her slender eyes opened wide.
Soon, Cha Yura, who had received a call early in the morning, confidently puffed out her broad chest and lifted her high nose.
“Don’t worry! Because I, Cha Yura, an S Rank Awakened, am with you! Don’t forget that if we solve this problem well, I’ll be appointed as an honorary nymph!”
“Muhuhuh, it’s an order to believe Illinois…!”
—Kkungkkungi…!
Kkungkkungi barked from a distance.
It seemed to be urging us to hurry.
# # #
Kkungkkungi stopped walking in Makcheon City.
A magical place in the 21st century with high buildings and deep underground slums.
In front of it, Kkungkkungi couldn’t move and looked around anxiously.
—Kkungkkungi…!
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
Cha Yura, who was walking alongside, tilted her head while looking at Kkungkkungi.
I lifted Kkungkkungi into my palm and gently stroked his head and tail, briefly answering.
“It seems the scent has ended around here.”
Kkungkkungi’s nose was exceptional, but it wasn’t infallible.
Still, it was a relief to know that the witch was hiding in this “Makcheon City.”
“Kkungkkungi. You did well. Here’s a peanut.”
As I handed him a macadamia nut that Kkungkkungi liked, he quickly stuffed it into his cheek pouch, which was quite impressive.
Cha Yura also blushed at the sight.
“So cute. I want to have a squirrel too.”
Squirrel Beasts were pets that everyone desired.
Especially, Kkungkkungi was larger and more colorful than most squirrels, which made many people envious.
However—what was important now was not that.
“Certainly, there’s no better place for criminals to hide than Makcheon City. The problem is that it’s hard to stir things up openly in this city…”
What should I do?
At that moment, Illinois let out a mischievous laugh.
“This Illinois is the big boss of the gang ‘Fairy Tale’…! I’m the nymph who had caught the wrinkles of this Makcheon City…! Just wait and see…!”
Swish-.
Illinois took out a phone from her pocket.
Coris and Oinoy watched the scene with envy.
“I also want a cellphone…!”
“This Oinoy thinks that this thing called a cellphone is very nymph-friendly…!”
Come to think of it, Oinoy and Coris didn’t have cellphones.
In the 21st century, having a cellphone was essential.
If this went well, I would have to get them cellphones—
As I was thinking this, a large truck came to a stop in front of us.
Thud-.
Soon, a rugged-looking man got out.
He was a bald man, resembling those I had seen at the Fairy Tale hideout.
“Boss! It’s been a while! I heard you’re looking for those ‘witches’—but unfortunately, our gang, Fairy Tale, has disbanded, so we have no information! We are now the ‘Nymph Goods Foundation.’ We’re selling the drawings you made.”
“Hyick…! This is truly useless…! This Illinois was away, so the discipline has loosened…! Punishment—! Is being enforced…! Nymph Biki, beat them up!”
Thud, thud, thud thud thud—.
Nymph Illinois started beating the bald ruffian with her fists.
The thugs that had come by truck watched this scene and exclaimed, “Wow, how amazing,” and “I’m envious” with shining eyes.
They were very strange people.
After getting beaten for a while, the bald thug said.
“Nowadays, most of the information in Makcheon City is managed by ‘Flower.’ Those guys are expanding their influence horrendously. If it’s those guys, they might know about the giant owl.”
“‘Flower.’”
It seemed too gentle a name for a gang.
However, they were probably people who had begun to seize the area with fierce skill despite their name.
“How can we meet them?”
I asked.
Then the bald man looked at me and replied casually.
“Since you probably know someone in the management, meeting them shouldn’t be too difficult. One of the founding members of ‘Flower’ is Coris’s family.”
“Ah—! I didn’t know at all…!”
Coris raised her hand excitedly.
Coris’s family, huh.
I couldn’t help but wonder how that was possible.
“Does Lee Jin-A know?”
Since coming back from the cruise trip, I hadn’t kept up with what Lee Jin-A was doing.
She was one of the most independent and busiest women I knew.
“Right nearby.”
However, Lee Jin-A was working in Makcheon City in a way I hadn’t expected.
I headed to the office where Lee Jin-A was working and found her, wearing gloves and sweating as she moved a refrigerator.
“Lee Jin-A. Do you know about ‘Flower’?”
“I do. My sister used to play with them back in the day…”
Swish-.
Lee Jin-A stopped speaking.
Next to her was a kindly-looking man.
“Brother-in-law, can I step out for a moment?”
“Huh? Yeah. Go take a break for a bit.”
It turned out Lee Jin-A was handing over the moving company to her brother-in-law.
I had heard that her brother-in-law had been living with her sister Lee Sun-A, even registering for marriage before the wedding.
Soon, Lee Jin-A came out of the building and looked at us.
“What’s going on? Why have you brought so many nymphs with you?”
Swish-.
Lee Jin-A, who seemed quite familiar, gently stroked Coris’s forehead.
Coris joyfully exclaimed, “Future Core Jin-A is kind…!”
I explained the whole situation to Lee Jin-A, and she nodded thoughtfully after hearing the story.
“So, that witch is hiding in Makcheon City, and it’s highly likely that the gang ‘Flower’ knows that information? Flower is a group formed by people my sister used to play with. I’ll keep it a secret from my brother-in-law.”
Got it.
Still, having connections was a good thing.
“I don’t really like keeping in touch with those guys for personal reasons.”
Rub, rub-.
Lee Jin-A scratched the back of her head.
Maybe because she had been working hard until just now, beads of sweat were seeping from her forehead.
“But well, you helped me a lot, so I’ll call them regarding you. There’s also that thing about our mom. Fine. I’ll get in touch with those Flower guys.”
Swish-.
Lee Jin-A tapped on her phone to contact someone.
Soon, she started the call with a “Hey, it’s me,” and talked for about five minutes.
Thud-.
She hung up and returned.
“Apparently, there was a place that brought in a lot of animals from America recently. They seem to be dealing in illegal animal trading. Maybe they have an owl?”
They brought in a lot of animals from America?
Were they a group trading natural monuments for money?
Could it be related to witches—
As I had such thoughts, Lee Jin-A added.
“One of my acquaintances moved some of their stuff to their office, and they were surprised to find an owl that’s as big as a person. I think the owl you’re looking for might be that one.”
“Oh!”
Indeed, having many connections is helpful.
I was glad to have known Lee Jin-A.
“Lee Jin-A. Thank you for helping!”
“Sure. We live by helping each other.”
Swish-.
Hearing gratitude seemed unfamiliar to Lee Jin-A as she slightly turned her red face to the side. Then, as if she remembered something, she hinted.
“If you’re grateful, you can come with me to that… Awakened Shop. I’m getting ready to rank up to B soon, and I was thinking of getting new weapons this time…”
Awakened Shop!
It was one of my most favorite places.
They sold various tools for Awakeneds, including weapons, drones, suits, cameras, and more!
“Sounds good. By the way, you were preparing for B rank, huh? Have you been busy saving up for the engraving costs?”
“Well…”
Lee Jin-A scratched her nose a bit.
I arranged to go with Lee Jin-A to the Awakened Shop and then moved on.
The building where they said they saw the giant owl.
It was an abandoned pharmaceutical factory.
Seeing that the sign at the entrance read “Osa,” it seemed to be Osa Pharmaceuticals.
I had heard that Osa Pharmaceuticals underwent various restructuring after Lee Jeong-Hoon’s collapse—was it an abandoned factory from that time?
“Is it just a coincidence that the existence of witches is related to the Osa Group…?”
Cha Yura opened her slender eyes.
As the daughter of the president and an S Rank Awakened, she seemed to have some sort of ‘intuition.’
“Kkungkkungi, it’s your turn.”
—Hioong…!
I strapped a camera onto Kkungkkungi’s back and sent him into the factory.
Inside the factory were countless containers of unknown origin.
And a lot of animal fur as well.
“This is just like what I heard from Lee Jin-A.”
The factory, where not even sunlight shone.
After wandering around for a while, Kkungkkungi finally discovered a pile of feathers.
They were enormous feathers, the same as the owl feathers previously found by Oinoy and Illinois.
Upon seeing the camera, Oinoy exclaimed.
“Those are definitely owl feathers…! This Oinoy can distinguish between owl and loser feathers…! That naughty nymph is surely somewhere inside this factory…!”
